Author: Reporter

Would you trust an “AI Jesus” enough to share your innermost thoughts and troubles, or confess your worst transgressions? Researchers and religious leaders released findings in December from a two-month experiment through art in a Catholic chapel in Switzerland, where an avatar of “Jesus” on a computer screen, tucked into a confessional, took questions by visitors on faith, morality, and modern-day woes, and offered responses based on Scripture. The chapel’s theological assistant said that the idea was to recognize the growing importance of artificial intelligence in human lives, even when it comes to religion, and explore the limits of...

When Pope Francis left the Vatican early in December for his traditional Christmastime outing downtown, he acknowledged what many Romans have been complaining about for months. His big plans for a Holy Year had turned their city into a giant construction pit, with traffic-clogging roadworks tearing up major thoroughfares, scaffolding covering prized monuments and short-term rentals gobbling up apartment blocks. Francis urged Romans to pray for their mayor, “He has a lot to do,” but to nevertheless welcome the upcoming Jubilee as a time of spiritual repair and renewal. “These worksites are fine, but beware: Do not forget the...

The Christmas tradition has become global in scope: Children from around the world track Santa Claus as he sweeps across the earth, delivering presents and defying time. Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the North American Aerospace Defense Command to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online in nine languages, from English to Japanese. On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats, such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon. But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on...

Stepping onto the set of “Squid Game” season two, Lee Jong-jae felt like he had never left. “Including promotion, I’d been living with Gi-hun for about two years,” said Lee in a recent interview. “I really felt like I was him,” he said in a recent interview. “Squid Game” follows an underground competition in Korea that recruits people in debt to participate in childlike games for money. Once the games begin, the contestants realize there are deadly consequences. The show was a global hit when it was released in 2021, becoming Netflix’s most-watched series. It also won numerous accolades...